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U2 are a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. Formed in 1976, U2 have consistently been one of the most popular acts in the world since the mid-1980s. The band has sold upwards of 170 million albums worldwide. With six #1 albums in the U.S. and nine #1 albums in the UK, U2 are one of the most successful acts of all time. They have won 22 Grammy awards.

The band was formed when Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards and vocals) and Adam Clayton (bass guitar) answered an advert placed by Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion); they were teenagers at the time with limited musical proficiency. By the mid 1980s, however, they had released four albums and developed a devoted international following, largely from extensive touring and from forging a trademark sound based upon The Edge's distinctively innovative and echoing guitar and Bono's impassioned vocals and deeply introspective lyrics. They reached a level of mega-stardom with their highly praised 1987 release The Joshua Tree. In the early 1990s, they replied to the dance and alternative music revolutions, criticism of their image, and their own sense of musical stagnation, with the critically-acclaimed Achtung Baby and the groundbreaking Zoo TV Tour. Although U2 had already developed a reputation for pursuing new musical paths with each new album, this time the band had ostensibly re-invented themselves; this experimentation was to continue for the rest of the 1990s.

In the early years of the 21st century, U2 have pursued a more traditional sound while maintaining some influence of their previous musical explorations, and continue to enjoy the highest level of commercial and critical success. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked U2 number 22 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, U2 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the first year they were eligible. The band is known for being politically active in human rights and social justice causes, such as Amnesty International, Make Poverty History, the ONE Campaign, Live Aid, Live 8, Bono's DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign, and The Edge's Music Rising.

Formation and breakthrough (1976–1979)
U2 formed in Dublin, Ireland on 25 September 1976. Larry Mullen, Jr., then fourteen, posted a notice on his secondary school notice board (Mount Temple Comprehensive School) seeking musicians for a new band. Seven teenage boys attended the initial practice in Mullen's kitchen. Known for about a day as "The Larry Mullen Band," the group featured Mullen on drums, Adam Clayton on bass guitar, Paul Hewson (Bono) on lead vocals, Dave Evans (The Edge) and his brother Dik Evans on guitar, as well as Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin, two other friends of Mullen. Soon after, the group settled on the name 'Feedback', because it was one of the few musical terms they knew. Martin did not return after the first practice, and McCormick left the group within a few weeks. We couldn't believe it. I was completely shocked. We weren't of an age to go out partying as such but I don't think anyone slept that night....Really, it was just a great affirmation to win that competition, even though I've no idea how good we were or what the competition was really like. But to win at that point was incredibly important for morale and everyone's belief in the whole project.—The Edge on winning the CBS competition In March 1977, the band changed its name to 'The Hype'. Dik Evans, who was older and by this time at college, was becoming the odd man out as the rest of the band was leaning towards the idea of a four-piece; he was 'phased out' in March 1978. During a farewell concert in the Presbyterian Church Hall in Howth, which featured The Hype playing covers, Dik ceremoniously walked offstage. The remaining four band members completed the concert playing original material as 'U2'.

The origin of the name 'U2' is not clear. It is the name of a famous 1960s surveillance plane, the Lockheed U-2; however, the Dublin punk rock guru Steve Averill (better known as Steve Rapid of The Radiators From Space) claimed it was chosen by the band from a list of ten names created by him and Adam Clayton. In an interview with Larry King, Bono said "I don't actually like the name U2," and "I honestly never thought of it as 'you too'."

On Saint Patricks Day 1978, U2 won a talent show in Limerick, Ireland for which the prize was £500 and funding to record a demo; an important milestone and affirmation for the fledgling band. The band recorded their first demo tape at Keystone Studios, in Harcourt Street, Dublin, in April 1978. In May, Paul McGuinness, who had earlier been introduced to the band by Hot Press journalist Bill Graham, agreed to be U2's manager.

U2's early sound was influenced by bands such as Television and Joy Division, and contains a sense of exhilaration that resulted from The Edge's "radiant chords" and Bono's "ardent vocals". U2's first release, an Ireland-only EP entitled Three, was released in September 1979 and soon reached the top of the Irish charts. In December 1979, U2 performed in London, their first shows outside Ireland, although they failed to get much attention from audiences or critics. In February 1980, their second single "Another Day" was released on the CBS label but again only for the Irish market.

Boy and October (1980-1982)
Island Records signed U2 in March 1980, and "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" became the band's first internationally released single that May. The band's debut album, Boy, followed that October. Boy has been praised as one of the better debuts in rock history. Despite Bono’s unfocused, seemingly improvised lyrics, the hopes and frustrations of adolescence ran through the album as a lyrical theme which touched on fear over sex, identity confusion, death and uncontrollable mood swings. The album included the band's first hit single, "I Will Follow,". Boy's release was followed by U2's first tour beyond Ireland and the United Kingdom. Despite their unpolished nature, these early live performances nevertheless helped demonstrate U2's potential, as critics noted that Bono was a very "charismatic" and "passionate" showman. U2 made their first appearance on US television on The Tomorrow Show, on 4 June, 1981, performing "I Will Follow" and "Twilight".